Truthful Lies
by thetruelies
Summary: He was a boy, she was a girl.


_TANNER._

Flashing lights accompanied by a loud, blaring alarm could only mean one thing - a fire drill within the first week of my sophomore year. I look at Cole, who is giving me the same look I am giving him.

'Drill?' he asks.

'Don't think so,' I say while getting up and slamming my laptop shut. 'Doubt they'd have a drill at-' I pause and look at our wall clock. '10.16 pm. You know, unless they want us to freeze to death out there or something.'

I'm sure he doesn't hear me from that annoying alarm but he pretends he does and we both start walking out into the crowd of people outside who were also making their way out the emergency exit. Everyone is pushing and we finally get to the stairs. We all walk as fast as we can out into the large field where our RA's stand, waving glowsticks at us.

'God, I swear it's negative 10 degrees out here,' Cole mutters, zipping up his hoodie. 'If this is a freakin' fire drill, they should at least have the decency to provide us with leg warmers and hot chocolate, or something.'

I only laugh in response and put my hands in my pockets. It is a havoc out here - girls squealing, guys laughing, RAs trying to maintain control; everyone is trapped in their own world. Lights are flashing everywhere and everyone is squashed next to each other on the small meadow.

'Redwood third floor boys! Redwood third floor boys over here! Redwood third floor boys check in over here!' John, our RA, screams as loud as he can over the commotion while waving a sign with our building and floor on it.

I gather Cole and the rest our friends and we walk over to John who is exasperated.

'Not only the residents hate drills, okay?' he muttered. 'RAs hate it just as much.'

We all laugh and hold our lit-up phones over the list John is holding to help illuminate the darkness. He screams all of the names in alphabetical order, and all the boys echo after each name is called. We check off the names of those who responded to our orchestra-like screaming and finally we are done.

'Can we head back?' someone asks.

'No, we have to wait for the firemen to say it's safe.' John walks away with the list and leaves us to ourselves.

Suddenly, from behind me, I hear something.

'Dude, that girl was in the shower when the alarm went off. Feel so bad for her man, she's in a towel in this weather.' Cole shakes his head and looks away.

'Perfect luck,' I say and walk away from our group.

I don't see her. It's not like I'm looking for her because I'm a pervert or something, but I figure I'd notice someone huddling in towel for warmth. I look around feeling bad for this poor girl, and that's when I see her.

A black haired girl with a dark blue towel wrapped around her. Someone must have let her get changed because she was in a grey sweatshirt and pajama pants. In this freezing cold night, a girl was strong enough to wear a holey shirt and pants with small penguins decorating it paired with shower flip-flops. Everyone was staring at her and many people huddled over offering her their jackets and scarves. From what I could see, she was pushing them away. She sat there with dripping wet hair, alone.

I decide to be annoying. I walk up to her and sit down next to her. Her shirt is wet from her hair and she trying not to shiver. I suddenly feel weak; here I am bundled up with warmth, still shivering, and there she sat in wet clothes trying to keep warm. I unzip my jacket and take it off.

'Here, have my jack-' I begin, but she cuts me off.

'No, I don't want your jacket.'

'You're going to get sick or something,' I try but she doesn't even budge.

'Do you think it's just a drill?' She didn't look at me when she asked this question; she stared at the firetrucks racing to the building.

'I don't know,' I say. Again, I push my jacket towards her. 'You're going to get pneumonia.'

Finally, she looks at me.

Brown eyes and black hair. Her skin is pale but it's probably from the cold. Her lips are purplish blue and her eyebrows are furrowed. She looks beautiful. How can she when she just got out of the shower, without even the time to brush through her hair or put on her make up?

'I don't need sympathy from you,' she says in a monotone voice. 'Thanks, but no thanks.'

I give up. 'I'm Tanner,' I offer.

'Quinn.'

Well this is just one heck of an awesome conversation, isn't it?

She looks at me and laughs.

'What?' I demand.

Quinn laughs again. 'Why are you taking it so personally, me refusing your jacket?'

'Why are you refusing my jacket?' I counter, because I have no answer to her question.

'Because I don't need it.' She pushes her hair back behind her face, only to have it fall back stubbornly.

I sigh dramatically. 'Why do all pretty girls have to lie?'

She snaps her head to look at me and she's obviously blushing. Immediately, she grabs the jacket and throws in around herself.

'Shut up now.'

I laugh. 'You don't have to pretend you aren't cold.'

'I'm not.' She puts her hands around her neck as if to warm them.

'Yeah, you are.' I laugh at her again and take of my sweater. 'Put it on.'

'I'm not col-' she starts but I don't let her finish.

I sigh dramatically again, about to repeat the sentence I said earlier. Before I can, she notices and fumbles into my sweater. She pulls her hair our of the jacket and stuffs her hands in the pockets. The water in her hair is absorbed into the material of my sweater, leaving it with darker damp patches. There is a long pause in the conversation as she warms up. I look around and see everyone still fussing around, people still complaining and whining to go back in. The flashing lights are still on and no one is allowed back in yet.

'Why are you like that?' I ask, to fill the silence between us. 'All lonely and quiet.'

She rolls her eyes. 'Why can't you be like every other guy and just ask me what my major is or something.'

'Fine, what's your major?'

'What's yours?' she shoots back.

'Com sci.'

'Law.'

'Don't sue me please.'

She rolls her eyes again. 'Like I haven't heard that one before.'

'Wanna be friends?' I ask awkwardly, trying to make conversation. Plus, this would help lead up to my next question, _Can I have your number_.

'You're going to ask for my number anyway aren't you?'

What. The. Hell.

'No,' I lie, 'but now that you mention it I don't mind taking your offer.'

She smiles at me, but not a genuine smile. It's the most forced smile you can imagine.

'I don't give my number out to strangers.' She raises an eyebrow.

'Not even strangers who give you their jackets? Are you in Redwood too?'

This time, she smiles a real smile. 'Yes. Fourth floor, co-ed.'

I feel a tinge of envy for any fourth floor guys. 'Lucky guys then,' I mumble.

I hear the music in her laugh again.

TO BE CONTINUED :)

Hi everyone, please read this.

So, I'm an aspiring writer (lmao jk i suck) and I would SERIOUSLY want to know what you think. Reviews are ALL welcome. I welcome hate/criticism A LOT. It really really helps me :D

Hugs, fellow fanfic lovers, this is an original and i hope its good.

loveeee,

rai x :3

Copyright 2013 thetruelies


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